It’s been a crazy day in Edmonton. It started with Dallas Eakins getting fired, and continued with both Craig MacTavish and Todd Nelson taking the reigns behind the bench for the next few games before things fully get transferred over to Nelson, likely before the Christmas holiday. Things picked up again in the afternoon, as many NHL insiders began hinting that major changes could be coming to the roster.
When this rebuild (version three?) started back in 2010, Taylor Hall was painted as the face of the franchise, the man who would bring Edmonton out of the ashes of the basement, into yearly playoff contention and eventually, yearly Stanley Cup contention. As we approach the five year mark of drafting Hall, that hasn’t happened, and Hall is once again being painted as the face in Edmonton, only this time of the failure that is the Oilers, not the franchise.
It’s been a massive fall from grace for Hall, who as recently as this summer was viewed as a franchise player and an untouchable piece of the NHL’s Chicago Cubs. Just a few months later, we are hearing that Hall could be on the trading block, could be on the move to greener pastures than Edmonton. Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie rang the bell earlier this afternoon, starting the Oilers roller-coaster.
You can read the full transcript at Nichols on Hockey here and here.
@Bruce_Arthur: .
@DarrenDreger, on TSN Drive right now, just said he expects Taylor Hall to be in play between now and the trade deadline.Darren Dreger: “… These players will be embarrassed that Dallas Eakins had to go down because of their inability to respond. It’s not one player. It’s the collection of players that make up a sagging work ethic and lack of culture. But if you wanted to put a face on it, or a name to it, that’d be Taylor Hall. Taylor Hall, at least again from a culture standpoint – more in the room, not necessarily on the ice – hasn’t been what they hoped he would be.
“And so when MacTavish looks into his crystal ball and tries to see what might come his way via trade, he’s got to be looking to the trade deadline. And then beyond that obviously looking at the draft floor. Because if you’re moving a piece like Taylor Hall, and I believe that Taylor Hall will be in play, then the rate of return is always best when teams have flexibility in the summer.”
Bob McKenzie: “I don’t know that he’s uncoachable. I suspect that – if I had to guess, and it’s only a guess – if they’re thinking of trading Taylor Hall, Taylor Hall might be the first guy to say, ‘great’ after everything he’s been through.
“But when I look at this, I think Dregs is right. I think everything is going to be on the table and that includes, potentially, Taylor Hall.”
Whoa…..Let this all sink in for a second….
Ready to continue? Good? Okay good.
This is a bombshell if it is true. If Taylor Hall is on the trading block currently, then this is the Edmonton Oilers organization fully admitting that their rebuild that began with the dreadful 2009-10 season is a failure, and that things need to change in Edmonton. Honestly, that might be the only way out, as I mentioned a few weeks ago.
Taylor Hall is Edmonton’s best player, and he is one of the best wingers in the entire NHL. His offensive skill is unreal, he’s going to be an 80 point player every single season in his prime. Those players don’t grow on trees, and those players can be the driving force to your offense. In fact, Taylor Hall is the driving force to the Edmonton Oilers offense.
That being said, he’s a guy who doesn’t have a great defensive game, and is a guy who has been criticized as not having the best work ethic. Many believe Andrew Ference’s comments about sulking in the room were directed at Hall, and some believe there is a massive rift in the room that starts with number four.
Not to mention, Dreger specifically mentioned that off the ice, Taylor Hall hasn’t been what the Edmonton Oilers expected him to be, suggesting that he could be a problem in the room. Nothing confirmed, but it’s possible. Like him or not, Dreger has a lot of contacts within the Oiler organization, and wouldn’t just make something like this up.
This makes a lot of sense too, considering MacT is going behind the bench to get a better look at the locker room, and that he mentioned getting “To the core of the problem” with this hockey club. The signs are there, and we shouldn’t ignore them. When something big is about to happen with the Oilers, we usually see the national media start to hint at it.
Will Taylor Hall get traded? I don’t know, but it’s a smart idea to put him on the block. That doesn’t mean you have to deal him, but it’s good to know what you can get for a player like this. If you can get a massive return that helps fill the hole in net, or the hole on defense, or the hole at center, you take it and you run with it. It doesn’t hurt to see what is out there.
Would I trade Taylor Hall? If the return is right, then yes, I would. I’m not saying dump the kid, that would be stupid, but if you can get the right return, the return that helps move you forward, then you take the deal. I like Taylor Hall a lot, and want to see him have success and win as an Oiler, but I believe in the team over the player. If moving Hall helps, do it.
Where will Hall go? If the Oilers are smart, they move him to the team with the highest offer, but I can’t see Edmonton moving him within the west. The most likely scenario? I can see the Maple Leafs, Bruins, Sabres, and Flyers really pushing for him. If they go out early again this season, I could see the Penguins getting desperate too.
Regardless of what happens, the Oilers know what they are doing isn’t the right way. They know they need to change the mix, change the scouts, and potentially more. What happens next? Who knows, but it promises to be interesting.
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